- bullies can be beaten provided others decline to acquiesce, quietly and firmly - and with a smile.
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
Monday, 4 April 2011
Stand Up! - Don't Stand for Homophobic Bullying
A simple, but effective short video from Ireland:
- bullies can be beaten provided others decline to acquiesce, quietly and firmly - and with a smile.
- bullies can be beaten provided others decline to acquiesce, quietly and firmly - and with a smile.
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Ireland gets civil partnership law
Irish President Mary McAleese yesterday signed into law the country's Civil Partnership Bill, after having been approved by the Seanad ('Senate') by 48 votes to 4 on 9th July after having been passed by the Dáil ('Parliament') the previous week.
According to the linked article the Bill cannot take full effect until 'commensurate changes take place in social welfare, tax and pensions legislation' and that relevant changes in the 'Finance Bill and Social Welfare Bill [will be] drafted following December’s budget'. All this means that Civil Partnerships are likely to begin in Ireland only at the beginning of 2011.
I last wrote about Ireland's plans to legislate for 'civil partnerships' in January 2008 and at that time it was thought that the legislation might come into force at the end of that year; in the event it has taken much longer, but the change is of course extremely pleasing, however delayed it has been.
According to the linked article the Bill cannot take full effect until 'commensurate changes take place in social welfare, tax and pensions legislation' and that relevant changes in the 'Finance Bill and Social Welfare Bill [will be] drafted following December’s budget'. All this means that Civil Partnerships are likely to begin in Ireland only at the beginning of 2011.
I last wrote about Ireland's plans to legislate for 'civil partnerships' in January 2008 and at that time it was thought that the legislation might come into force at the end of that year; in the event it has taken much longer, but the change is of course extremely pleasing, however delayed it has been.
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Civil Partnership law to be passed in Ireland
An agreement has been reached between the political parties in Ireland that a Bill to be introduced into the Irish Parliament (the Dail) in the Autumn to allow Civil Partnerships will receive speedy passage and is expected to become law early next year. The subject of same-sex partners adopting children has not been addressed, but the legislation is generally welcomed by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) as representing a "beautiful day for Irish society".
Friday, 5 June 2009
European Parliament elections - 5 Jun - day 2
Voting in the elections for the European Parliament is taking place today in:
Czech Republic (*)
Ireland
(*) Voting continues tomorrow in the Czech Republic.
Read about voting in the Czech Republic here. Some facts about the Czech Republic are in the European Parliament website here. The Euronews website has updates about the voting in the Czech Republic here.
The Irish Times carries a report about the high eestimates of voter turnout in Ireland today. The ElectionsIreland.org website will carry full results of today's elections as they are announced (not before Sunday, of course, once all EU countries have voted), together with full details of the results in previous European Parliament elections; main page is here. The European Parliament's website for Ireland is here and some facts about the country are
here.
Ireland
(*) Voting continues tomorrow in the Czech Republic.
Read about voting in the Czech Republic here. Some facts about the Czech Republic are in the European Parliament website here. The Euronews website has updates about the voting in the Czech Republic here.
The Irish Times carries a report about the high eestimates of voter turnout in Ireland today. The ElectionsIreland.org website will carry full results of today's elections as they are announced (not before Sunday, of course, once all EU countries have voted), together with full details of the results in previous European Parliament elections; main page is here. The European Parliament's website for Ireland is here and some facts about the country are
here.
Thursday, 14 August 2008
The UK government and the Lisbon Treaty
I signed a petition on the Number 10 website a while back suggesting that the Government abandon the Lisbon Treaty in the wake of the Irish 'No' vote in their referendum; the petition was in the following terms:
The Government have now responded as follows:
The Government STILL does not want to accept what has happened! It is really very simple; most referenda are advisory, not compuslory, on a Government [the Irish government in this instance]; the Irish government could probably go ahead and ratify the Treaty, despite the 'no' verdict of the Irish people, but it knows that to do so would most likely be disastrous for its electoral prospects in a future election. Although our Foreign Secretary plays 'lip service' to the fact that, legally, the EU cannot proceed without unanimous ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, it is equally clear that the Irish government is being put under pressure to find some way of ratifying it - the continuation of the ratification process in other countries such as the UK, despite the Irish 'no' vote, is clear enough evidence of of what is being planned and worked towards. What does the Irish government need to analyse? That is 'euphemism' for what is likely to be a sustained domestic propaganda exercise within Ireland to try and persuade the Irish people to change their minds to a view more akin to the European Commission's desire to continue 'willy-nilly' with implementation of the [already rejected by France and the Netherlands] European Constitutional Treaty, thinly but unconvincingly disguised as a 'Reform Treaty', known colloquially as the Lisbon Treaty.
Baldly stated, a major country such as France (and to some extent the Netherlands) could not be pushed around; one of the smaller countries such as Ireland is an entirely different matter. It has after all happened before; the Irish initially rejected the Nice Treaty, but were later persuaded to go ahead with it when sections affecting Ireland's military neutrality were rewritten. As Irish objections to the Lisbon Treaty are much wider, there is considerable doubt that a similar volte face can be achieved. Similarly, Danish voters initially rejected the Maastricht Treaty, but were later persuaded to accept it when four 'opt-outs' were proposed by the Edinburgh Agreement.
It appears that in practice, and despite what David Miliband may want us to believe, different rules apply when a piece of EU legislation is rejected by one of the 'smaller' member states; after all, no-one seriously proposed trying to get the French to change their minds after their rejection of the European Constitutional Treaty; if the Netherlands alone had rejected it, no doubt matters might have been different.
As I never tire of pointing out I am fundamentally in favour of the EU and its further integration; however, that does not mean I want to see this happen against the wishes of significant numbers of its peoples as the European Commission, aided and abetted by most EU member state governments, seems determined to do. Whatever legislation is proposed for further EU integration should be readily comprehensible by most EU citizens who have an interest in informing themselves about it. My fundamental objection to both the European Constitutional Treaty and the European Reform Treaty (aka 'Lisbon Treaty') is the extreme complexity of these documents, seemingly almost designed with the intent of making it very difficult for ordinarily intelligent and interested people, such as me, to grasp the scope of these peices of legislation. I am probably one of the few people I know who is confident he understood the scope of the European Constitutional Treaty, and that because I studied it closely over a prolonged period, but I must confess that the 'hot-potch' that is the European Reform Treaty (aka 'Lisbon Treaty') was even less easy to understand, despite my best efforts, but people a lot more expert than me (for example the principal author of the European Constitutional Treaty, former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing) believe the effect of the two documents to be almost indistinguishable. The type of document that should be aimed for, in my opinion, is a relatively short and relatively easy to understand document such as the US Constition, a document that has provided the fundamental legal framework for one of the greatest nations in human history and which has required only 27 amendments so far in the roughly two and a quarter centuries since it was ratified; I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of legal draftspersons working for the European Commission to come up with something equally transparent and long-lasting, even given the unusual brilliance and clear-sightedness of those who drafted the US Constition.
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to respect the result of the Irish referendum and abandon the attempt to ratify the Lisbon Treaty." Details of Petition: "The Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty has resulted in a decisive no vote. However, politicians across Europe are calling for the ratification of the Treaty to go ahead. The British Government are planning to put the Lisbon Treaty to its third and final reading in the Lords next Wednesday 18 June. This would complete its ratification in the UK. We believe that the Prime Minister should respect the result of the Irish referendum and abandon the attempt to ratify the Lisbon Treaty." |
The Government have now responded as follows:
In the UK, the Lisbon Treaty has now completed its passage through both Houses of Parliament in the UK following 25 days of debate. The Bill received Royal Assent on 19 June and the UK ratified the treaty on 16 July. We believe the treaty would be good for the UK and good for the EU. This treaty adjusts existing treaties, in the same way as previous EU amending treaties. However, European treaty change rightly requires unanimity across all EU Member States. That is why the ‘no’ vote on the treaty in the Irish referendum on 12 June is important, and needs to be respected. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in the House of Commons on 16 June: "The rules of the treaty and the EU are clear. All 27 Member States must ratify the treaty for it to come into force. …There is no question of ignoring the Irish vote or bulldozing Irish opinion. Ireland clearly cannot be bound by changes which it has not ratified. Equally there is no appetite for a return to years of institutional negotiation. The EU as a whole needs to find a way forward for all countries that allows the EU to focus on the big policy issues that confront us." The Irish government has made it clear that they need time to analyse the result and its implications, and to consult widely at home and abroad. At the European Council on 19/20 June, EU Heads of State and Government agreed with the Irish Government’s proposal that they should reflect on the result of the referendum and then submit a report to the European Council in October. In the meantime the Council, including Ireland, has noted that the ratification processes are continuing in all of the other Member States |
The Government STILL does not want to accept what has happened! It is really very simple; most referenda are advisory, not compuslory, on a Government [the Irish government in this instance]; the Irish government could probably go ahead and ratify the Treaty, despite the 'no' verdict of the Irish people, but it knows that to do so would most likely be disastrous for its electoral prospects in a future election. Although our Foreign Secretary plays 'lip service' to the fact that, legally, the EU cannot proceed without unanimous ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, it is equally clear that the Irish government is being put under pressure to find some way of ratifying it - the continuation of the ratification process in other countries such as the UK, despite the Irish 'no' vote, is clear enough evidence of of what is being planned and worked towards. What does the Irish government need to analyse? That is 'euphemism' for what is likely to be a sustained domestic propaganda exercise within Ireland to try and persuade the Irish people to change their minds to a view more akin to the European Commission's desire to continue 'willy-nilly' with implementation of the [already rejected by France and the Netherlands] European Constitutional Treaty, thinly but unconvincingly disguised as a 'Reform Treaty', known colloquially as the Lisbon Treaty.
Baldly stated, a major country such as France (and to some extent the Netherlands) could not be pushed around; one of the smaller countries such as Ireland is an entirely different matter. It has after all happened before; the Irish initially rejected the Nice Treaty, but were later persuaded to go ahead with it when sections affecting Ireland's military neutrality were rewritten. As Irish objections to the Lisbon Treaty are much wider, there is considerable doubt that a similar volte face can be achieved. Similarly, Danish voters initially rejected the Maastricht Treaty, but were later persuaded to accept it when four 'opt-outs' were proposed by the Edinburgh Agreement.
It appears that in practice, and despite what David Miliband may want us to believe, different rules apply when a piece of EU legislation is rejected by one of the 'smaller' member states; after all, no-one seriously proposed trying to get the French to change their minds after their rejection of the European Constitutional Treaty; if the Netherlands alone had rejected it, no doubt matters might have been different.
As I never tire of pointing out I am fundamentally in favour of the EU and its further integration; however, that does not mean I want to see this happen against the wishes of significant numbers of its peoples as the European Commission, aided and abetted by most EU member state governments, seems determined to do. Whatever legislation is proposed for further EU integration should be readily comprehensible by most EU citizens who have an interest in informing themselves about it. My fundamental objection to both the European Constitutional Treaty and the European Reform Treaty (aka 'Lisbon Treaty') is the extreme complexity of these documents, seemingly almost designed with the intent of making it very difficult for ordinarily intelligent and interested people, such as me, to grasp the scope of these peices of legislation. I am probably one of the few people I know who is confident he understood the scope of the European Constitutional Treaty, and that because I studied it closely over a prolonged period, but I must confess that the 'hot-potch' that is the European Reform Treaty (aka 'Lisbon Treaty') was even less easy to understand, despite my best efforts, but people a lot more expert than me (for example the principal author of the European Constitutional Treaty, former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing) believe the effect of the two documents to be almost indistinguishable. The type of document that should be aimed for, in my opinion, is a relatively short and relatively easy to understand document such as the US Constition, a document that has provided the fundamental legal framework for one of the greatest nations in human history and which has required only 27 amendments so far in the roughly two and a quarter centuries since it was ratified; I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of legal draftspersons working for the European Commission to come up with something equally transparent and long-lasting, even given the unusual brilliance and clear-sightedness of those who drafted the US Constition.
Friday, 13 June 2008
It's confirmed - Ireland rejects EU Reform Treaty!
The official results have just been announced: 53.4 per cent voted against, 46.6 voted yes.
Whilst I am very pro-EU, I was opposed to the rejected EU Constitutional Treaty (rejected by France and the Netherlands), and the present EU Reform Treaty is considered by most to be almost indistinguishable and has just been rejected by Ireland. I think we should have a referendum too, as promised by the Labour government before the 2005 General Election.
Despite the fact that unanimity is required for the Treaty to come into effect, already European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has stated that the Treaty is "alive and we should now try to find a solution". There IS no solution; the Treaty is DEAD! The same nonsense was trotted out for several weeks after the Constitutional Treaty was rejected by France and the Netherlands a few years ago, but eventually they were forced to face up to the fact the required ratification within two years of its signing could not happen, because both countries declined to ask their citizens to vote a second time.
In the world of realpolitik, however, because Ireland is one of the 'small' countries, there will undoubtedly be attempts to circumvent the Irish rejection and continue with the Treaty's effects, something that obviously could not work with one of the larger countries such as France, one of the countries rejecting the earlier Treaty. However, the harsh legal fact is that all 27 countries must ratify EU Treaties for them to come into force, so however much Barroso or the British Labour government or anyone else may huff and puff, the Reform Treaty is now dead.
If the British government wishes to press on with ratification, then:
to see if the British people will sanction this action.
I suspect that what will happen in practice is that yet another treaty will be concocted, unless the European Commission can be made to realise the game is up!
Whilst I am very pro-EU, I was opposed to the rejected EU Constitutional Treaty (rejected by France and the Netherlands), and the present EU Reform Treaty is considered by most to be almost indistinguishable and has just been rejected by Ireland. I think we should have a referendum too, as promised by the Labour government before the 2005 General Election.
Despite the fact that unanimity is required for the Treaty to come into effect, already European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has stated that the Treaty is "alive and we should now try to find a solution". There IS no solution; the Treaty is DEAD! The same nonsense was trotted out for several weeks after the Constitutional Treaty was rejected by France and the Netherlands a few years ago, but eventually they were forced to face up to the fact the required ratification within two years of its signing could not happen, because both countries declined to ask their citizens to vote a second time.
In the world of realpolitik, however, because Ireland is one of the 'small' countries, there will undoubtedly be attempts to circumvent the Irish rejection and continue with the Treaty's effects, something that obviously could not work with one of the larger countries such as France, one of the countries rejecting the earlier Treaty. However, the harsh legal fact is that all 27 countries must ratify EU Treaties for them to come into force, so however much Barroso or the British Labour government or anyone else may huff and puff, the Reform Treaty is now dead.
If the British government wishes to press on with ratification, then:
to see if the British people will sanction this action.
I suspect that what will happen in practice is that yet another treaty will be concocted, unless the European Commission can be made to realise the game is up!
Monday, 7 January 2008
Ireland to enact 'Civil Unions' legislation
Ireland is likely to enact legislation during 2008 giving same-sex couples the right to contract 'Civil Unions' giving most of the rights and obligations of marriage. The legislation is analagous to the 'Civil Partnerships' Act in the UK.
An important aspect of the legislation is that it will grant recognition as a 'Civil Union' to a civil partnership or marriage by an Irish same sex couple in countries where this is permitted (e.g. UK, Holland, Belgium or Canada); a number of Irish same sex couples have resorted to this already, but at present their foreign civil partnerships or marriages are not recognised at home.
No doubt we will hear the usual ranting from the Vatican in the run up to this legislation being passed with the usual warnings that the sky will fall in. Let's hope the Irish government has the stamina to see it through.
An important aspect of the legislation is that it will grant recognition as a 'Civil Union' to a civil partnership or marriage by an Irish same sex couple in countries where this is permitted (e.g. UK, Holland, Belgium or Canada); a number of Irish same sex couples have resorted to this already, but at present their foreign civil partnerships or marriages are not recognised at home.
No doubt we will hear the usual ranting from the Vatican in the run up to this legislation being passed with the usual warnings that the sky will fall in. Let's hope the Irish government has the stamina to see it through.
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